Friday, July 31, 2009

Break up the Padres!

So after suffering through some roller coaster performances this year, with the Padres going on 10 game winning streaks then losing 20 out of 25, I'm ready for anything. What a great series they just had with the Reds, sweeping them and showing off their young talent for the future. Mat Latos was awesome throwing 7 innings of one hit ball, showing a sharp fastball that he is not afraid to throw. His secondary pitches could use a bit more command, but that fastball gives him some wiggle room. I've also been very happy with Kyle Blanks' performance. He looks effortless when he pounds a ball 430 feet, it's like he isn't swinging hard. It is very similar to how Adrian Gonzalez's home run swings, just very smooth, effortless, but with some incredible load.

Hopefully they can keep this going through this weekend's series against the Brewers. Excited to see Trevor again also. With these deals I'm hearing rumors on with A-Gon and Heath Bell (my current favorite Padre), I've got to say I think they need to take them. Getting basically the entire Red Sox minor league top 5 list is a haul that you can't say no to. You stick Bucholz and maybe Masterson into the 2010 Padres rotation and you've got something strong. Lars Anderson can be trade bait or maybe even play himself into 1B and keep Blanks in the OF. I'd really like to see a 3B get acquired. Headley isn't going to cut it, I'm now convinced. Kouz is great but the team seems intent on dealing him or replacing him at some point. I wish the Padres could pick up Josh Fields cheap from the White Sox and see if he can revitalize his once bright career here.